G Borges1, C J Cherpitel, H Rosovsky. 1. Division de Investigaciones Epidemiologicas Sociales, Instituto Mexicano de Psiquiatria, Calzada Mexico-Xochimilco. guimar@servidor.unam.mx
Abstract
AIMS: To present epidemiological measures of associations between violence-related injuries (assaults and fights), alcohol consumption prior to the event, and drinking patterns among males attending hospital emergency rooms (ERs) in Mexico City. DESIGN: All patients were interviewed and breath tested for alcohol consumption. The data were analyzed using a case-control design. SETTING: Eight ERs in Mexico City that were representative of the types of emergency care systems available in that city (from public, private and social security systems hospitals). PARTICIPANTS: Cases were males patients (n = 445) admitted to the ER because of a fight or an assault. The control group was comprised of patients (n = 320) admitted to the ER because of accidents that are less frequently reported a alcohol-related (i.e. work-place accidents, animal bites or recreational accidents excluding near drowning). MEASUREMENTS: A breath sample to estimate BAG, as well as an interviewer-administered questionnaire were used. FINDINGS: Alcohol consumption prior to injury was found to be a more important risk factor than usual drinking for injuries resulting from violence, while quantity of usual alcohol consumption was more predictive of violence-related injuries than frequency of drinking. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest the importance of using more appropriate control groups when estimating associations of alcohol and violence-related injuries so that associations will not be underestimated. More research is needed to establish unbiased estimates of alcohol-related violence.
AIMS: To present epidemiological measures of associations between violence-related injuries (assaults and fights), alcohol consumption prior to the event, and drinking patterns among males attending hospital emergency rooms (ERs) in Mexico City. DESIGN: All patients were interviewed and breath tested for alcohol consumption. The data were analyzed using a case-control design. SETTING: Eight ERs in Mexico City that were representative of the types of emergency care systems available in that city (from public, private and social security systems hospitals). PARTICIPANTS: Cases were males patients (n = 445) admitted to the ER because of a fight or an assault. The control group was comprised of patients (n = 320) admitted to the ER because of accidents that are less frequently reported a alcohol-related (i.e. work-place accidents, animal bites or recreational accidents excluding near drowning). MEASUREMENTS: A breath sample to estimate BAG, as well as an interviewer-administered questionnaire were used. FINDINGS:Alcohol consumption prior to injury was found to be a more important risk factor than usual drinking for injuries resulting from violence, while quantity of usual alcohol consumption was more predictive of violence-related injuries than frequency of drinking. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest the importance of using more appropriate control groups when estimating associations of alcohol and violence-related injuries so that associations will not be underestimated. More research is needed to establish unbiased estimates of alcohol-related violence.
Authors: Rachael A Korcha; Cheryl J Cherpitel; Jane Witbrodt; Guilherme Borges; Shahrzad Hejazi-Bazargan; Jason C Bond; Yu Ye; Gerhard Gmel Journal: Drug Alcohol Rev Date: 2013-11-21
Authors: Oulmann Zerhouni; Laurent Bègue; Georges Brousse; Françoise Carpentier; Maurice Dematteis; Lucie Pennel; Joel Swendsen; Cheryl Cherpitel Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2013-09-27 Impact factor: 3.390